20" LCD Monitors Roundup. Part V. Page 5

This article continues our series of reviews of 20” LCD monitors. Today we are going to discuss 9 models from Acer, Asus, Dell, Samsung and NEC using mostly TN matrix technology. Let’s find out what the market prospects of TN matrix in general are and how successful the reviewed models turned out to be.

Acer X202WBD

Acer’s new X2 series is an attempt to offer nice-looking monitors for home users. It is not one or two models but a whole series with different screen diagonals. Currently it includes monitors with a diagonal of 19, 20 and 22 inches.

I can only single out the high contrast ratio in this monitor’s specs. Otherwise, it is an ordinary widescreen TN-based model without response time compensation.

The case is made from black glossy plastic but the stand and back panel are matte. The block of controls that used to hang below the screen in previous models has become wider and now protrudes forward as well. It’s somewhat unusual, yet quite pretty.

The matrix surface is glossy just like the case. That’s an arguable solution. Such a matrix ensures a higher contrast and a somewhat sharper picture when the source of light is at your side, but every light source behind your back is going to produce reflections and flares on the screen. You can even see your own reflection on the screen if it displays a dark background.

Moreover, the glossy surface – the one of the matrix and of the case – is easily soiled. Dust speckles and fingerprints are going to be just too visible on it.

The stand allows adjusting the tilt of the screen only. It can be removed and replaced with a VESA-compatible mount.

The monitor is equipped with analog and digital video inputs. It also has a line audio input for the built-in speakers. By the way, the speakers are hidden so well that it’s almost impossible to spot them when looking at the monitor from the front.

The control buttons are centered below the screen. The On/Off button shines green at work and amber in sleep mode. Its light isn’t too intensive and won’t distract your eyes.

The buttons prove not very handy for their main purpose, though. They are placed too far from each other, and the central, On/Off, button doesn’t differ from the others with its shape. As a result, you have to use both your hands when setting the monitor up: one hand to press the buttons to the left of the On/Off one and the other hand to press the buttons to the right of it.

That’s a typical menu of Acer monitors. It doesn’t offer any extra options above the required minimum. Quick access (without entering the main menu) is provided to switching between the preset modes, to the auto-adjustment feature, and to the sound volume setting.

Like the above-discussed models from Acer, the X202WBD has four preset modes for quickly changing the monitor’s brightness and contrast when you switch from work to a movie or game, for example. The implementation isn’t quite convenient to me. Pressing the “e” button opens up a list of the available modes, and you should use the “<” and “>” buttons to navigate the list. It would be better if the list could be navigated in a loop with a single button.